30,000 violence-stricken Yazidi refugees willing to move to ArmeniaSeptember 16, 2014 - 15:14 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Yazidi refugees are ready to move to Armenia, which could be made possible only through the government’s goodwill, the head of the Union of Sinjar Yazidis told Zhamanak daily. “The 30,000 refugees who fled from northern Iraq to Turkey fear persecutions in the country,” Boris Murazi said. “If put in a corner, Turkey will defend the interests of radical Islamists as it did back in 1974 during Batman pogroms against Yazidis.” Earlier, Yazidi activist Khdr Khajoyan said that Armenian and Karabakh authorities are ready to accommodate the refugees, however, Turkey is unwilling to cooperate on the issue. In early September, the government of Armenia allocated $100,000 in aid to violence-stricken Iraqi Yazidis. Hundreds and possibly thousands of Yazidis are believed to have been killed by militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) since the fall of Sinjar, the main Yazidi-populated town in the country’s north. Tens of thousands of Sinjar residents fled the town after being told to convert to Islam or face death. Most of them still remain trapped on a nearby barren mountain, facing starvation. Iraq is home to at least 600,000 Yazidis. Most of them live in the northern province of Shangal, which has seen a major ISIS onslaught. About half a million Yazidis became refugees, fleeing their homes and moving to neighboring countries. Some 50,000 Yazidis live in Armenia at present, making them the country’s single largest ethnic and religious minority. Scores of them staged protests in front of the main government building in Yerevan, as well as foreign diplomatic missions, including the Iraqi and the U.S. embassies, in late August. Photo: Reuters Related links: Top stories David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Partner news | Ucom General Director gives lecture at French University in Armenia The General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian delivered a lecture at the French University of Armenia. Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. |